Crisis as a Catalyst for Embodied Transformation
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Authors
Kavicky, Katie
Issue Date
2013
Type
Capstone
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Personally and culturally, we are currently living in uncertain and turbulent times. Crisis and change confront us at every turn. Crises take shape in several forms, from external events to internal tensions. Many individuals respond to crisis with stress. Thus, the focus turns towards stress. Culturally, we try to ignore, reduce, or eliminate it. In this way, stress has been viewed as a disease that should be minimized, prevented, and controlled. Health education has paralleled some of these cultural views on stress. As a result, many stress management, stress relief, and stress reduction programs have been created and implemented. However, there is a problem. While focusing on stress, we often forget to look at our relationship with crisis and change. Crisis and change often trigger the stress in the first place because they often disrupt our idea of who we are. A new model of change called Living in Grace is a creative alternative that helps us reconnect with the transformative potential of change and crisis. Using nature as an inspiration and foundation, natural cycles of change (e.g. lunar and seasonal) are explored to help us reframe our current understanding of crisis and change. From this inquiry into the role of crisis in change, something greater can be discovered. Because of the true nature of crisis, something new can emerge—embodied transformation.